


A Single Act of Kindness

by secooper87



Series: The Child of Balime [59]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Goddesses, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-03-31 20:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3991177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secooper87/pseuds/secooper87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seo and Jack get swept into an Arabian Nights style adventure, as they struggle to work out — just who is the genie in the lamp?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Welcome to my new story!
> 
> Just a little warning, for all you fans of the series out there. Very shortly, I'll be taking "Bringer of Death" down, permanently. Sorry, but the more I think about it, the more I know it's the right thing to do. It's a depressing and deeply disturbing story, and I'd rather not have it up, anymore.
> 
> The summary at the beginning of "Happy Endings" will have to do for everyone wanting continuity.
> 
> So if you want to read it one last time, do so now. I'll be taking it down very shortly.
> 
> Anyways!
> 
> Enjoy this story.

Dalalia raced as fast as she could, her feet slamming against the stone floor, her breath burning in her throat. Tears began to blossom in her eyes, as she frantically tried to escape.

But knew it would be futile.

She spun around the corner, burst through a set of doors, then… stumbled to a halt. As she realized the corridor she'd been expecting had somehow turned into a dead-end.

Dalalia turned.

Backing away, tears streaming down her face.

"No," she gasped. "Please! Just let me live!"

No response.

Just Dalalia's blood-curdling screams, echoing through the palace.

* * *

Jack squinted into the distance, as he stepped out of the ship.

Then a large grin appeared on his face.

"Well, it's not Luna Night Club, in 2626!" Jack said, tucking his thumbs under his suspenders. "But it sure looks interesting!"

Seo stepped out. Shielding her eyes from the blazing sun, as she examined their surroundings.

Made out the sand, the high, blue pinprick sun blazing overhead, the market stalls in the distance, and the distinctive Arabian-ish style clothing.

And beamed.

"It looks brilliant! Much more brilliant than a boring old night club." Seo spun back to her ship, patting his side, lovingly. "Good Oliver! If I find monsters and world-ending catastrophes to stop, here, I'll take you to a chocolate factory as a reward."

Oliver hummed beneath her hand.

Jack chuckled.

Ten minutes later, they were both decked out head-to-toe in Arbianish clothing, themselves — Jack with a vest that showed most of his chest, and ballooning pants. Seo in a diaphanous costume sporting a midriff and billowing bits of fabric.

"Yep, the planet Hamazol," Jack explained, as they walked through the market stalls. "About a hundred thousand years after we intended to land. An Arabian Nights Fantasy planet, custom-terraformed for some guy with too much money and no care about historical accuracy." He waved over in the distance. "Last time I was here was just after it opened. I'd hitched a lift with this gorgeous Lowinx, and wound up chased by the ex-husband while wearing only—"

"You mean there are other fantasy planets?" Seo cut in, nibbling on a fruit she'd never seen before, and didn't know the name of. "Doing bad re-enactments of other historical periods?"

"Not so many history ones," Jack said. He shrugged. "One I went to, back with the Doctor and Rose, was modeled after a musical. Filled to the brim with singing and dancing animals. True story!" He paused. "Drove the Doctor crazy, after a while, though."

Seo snickered.

Mental image of a massively-annoyed Ninth Doctor surrounded by singing animals flashing through her head.

"But Rose loved it," Jack continued, "so the Doctor stuck it out to the end. Brave man."

Seo wrinkled her nose, as she noticed a number of men and women rushing by who were clothed in European Medieval clothing. Some in Victorian. And some in 22nd century cazartas.

"I'm starting to think we should have just gone back to  _real_  Arabian times," Seo said. She took another nibble at her fruit, as she passed a panda in a turban, being escorted through the streets. "This place is getting sillier and sillier by the second."

"Bet the nightclubs are better here," Jack replied, with a wink.

Seo gave a soft sigh that was half-way to a laugh, and handed Jack back the fruit. Then raced forwards, to explore.

Sure enough… no one seemed to understand what time period they were actually in.

Seo found herself stopping by — what looked like — a medieval-style Town Crier, ringing a bell and shouting, "Hear ye! Hear ye!" every minute or so. Before explaining the news from, "the Daily Wikipedia."

"Daily Wikipedia? That doesn't even make sense," Seo muttered, as she listened to the Town Crier drone on about some news story involving the Face of Boe's retirement chalet. "These people need a time machine!"

"This far in the future?" Jack replied. "They might already have one." He gave a thumbs up and a wink to a green-skinned woman, checking out his abs nearby. "Not sure anyone here cares enough to actually go back and check."

The Town Crier rang his bell, again.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" he announced, touching two fingers to something metal in the side of his neck, his face momentarily looking like he was processing information. Then he smiled, and continued, "In local news, Sultan Carvao Bacarl declines to comment on last night's murder of his latest lover."

Seo and Jack stopped talking.

Turned back to the Town Crier.

"But it has begun to grab the attention of the galaxy," the Town Crier continued. "Pop Sensation and ex-Hamazol resident AcariaX7/12 donated four million credits to Hamazol Police forces, and has begun lobbying Earth for intervention."

Seo grabbed Jack by the arm and yanked him to the side of the town square, towards a data-port sticking up out of the sand. She slammed his hand down, to activate it, then thanked him and let him go, as she began punching and poking at it.

Pulling up the story.

"The latest in a long series of murders, looks like," Seo muttered, her eyes skimming across the holo-projection. "Sultan takes a lover, marries her, and one week later… she's dead. No investigation or explanation for the death."

Jack nodded, slowly. "Well… it  _is_  an Arabian Nights world, and given how Arabian Nights started…"

Seo spun back to face him. Hands on her hips. "And just because that's the premise of Scheherezade, that makes it all right to murder innocent people?" She shook her head, eyes flicking back to the holo-projection. "No. If the Sultan's killing his wives, I think it's time I stopped him."

She spun around, to head off towards the palace looming in the distance.

It took Jack a second to realize what Seo wanted to do. "You're gonna offer  _yourself_  as his next…?!" He sprinted after her, grabbing her up by the arm and holding her back. "Whoa, whoa! Let's not get hasty here, kiddo."

Seo simply raised an eyebrow at him.

And yanked back her arm.

"You think I can't outsmart one little Sultan?" Seo asked.

"Hey, there's a difference between outsmarting a guy," said Jack, "and sleeping with a homicidal maniac who kills pretty young women."

Seo gave a long, weary sigh.

Pulled her arm away from him. "I wasn't planning to sleep with him. I just wanted a distraction so I could get inside the palace and have a chat."

Oh.

Yeah.

Jack should have thought of that.

"Distraction I can do," Jack assured her. Then, with a step forward, and in a slightly softer voice, "But if you need me… just let me know. Got it? Don't want you in over your head, here."

Seo sighed. Then turned around, a little annoyed. "I'll be fine, Jack!" She marched off towards the palace. "I mean, I know I'm young. But I'm not incompetent."

Jack figured that was about as much as he'd be able to do for her.

Following her towards the palace.

"Just remember," he told her.


	2. Chapter 2

Seo left Jack at the front gate, trying to flirt his way past the guards. Which was fine by her — she figured he'd either succeed, or he'd make a run for the inside of the palace, and be shot. Either way, Jack had promised Seo a distraction — and she had a feeling she'd get one.

Around the back of the palace, there were no guards — although Seo knew the walls were probably swarming with automated sensors and cameras. Seo didn't mind any of them. She chose a spot where she couldn't be easily seen at a distance, dug her feet in, and began to climb.

She'd just gotten to the top, peeking over to see if anyone was standing in the palace gardens, able to see her, when she heard gunshots.

"Jack," she muttered.

As all the guards and everyone nearby raced off towards the gunshots and whatever was happening by the front gate.

And Seo was able to leap inside.

Flipping through the air and landing on the artificial grass, on her feet, quietly as she could. She looked both ways, taking in the opulence and the fountain and flowers — then darted forwards, towards the gently rounded archways of the palace.

She gritted her teeth, as she entered it.

There was something still lingering, here. Still pressing at her mind. Like anger, thick and boiling through the air. It left an acrid taste at the back of her mouth, and she tried to swallow it down — as she continued to make her way through the palace.

The palace was as much a jumble of times, places, and cultures as everywhere else.

She found the walls covered with intricately woven tapestries of ancient South American gods. Arabian-style lamps with Chinese symbols across the outside. Even — in one room — a statue of a monkey with fez and vest, bowing down to worship… a carved stone iPad.

Bizarre.

"But it isn't actually Arabia," Seo reminded herself, as she felt the psychic pull of the anger leading her onwards, to the left. "It's what people in the distant future think Arabia was, without doing a lot of research."

It was over 100,000 years since the 21st century, after all.

Seo wondered if, this far out, there were any old artifacts or anything left from that time to even reference. Perhaps they'd assembled it this way because there was so little information left, they'd just needed to guess at the culture that had produced the book "Arabian Nights" — and then had shoved all their guesses together.

Seo heard footsteps the other way, and tried to double back.

Then stopped.

As she realized… the corridor behind her had shifted. Turned into a dead-end.

Strange.

The footsteps grew louder, and she could hear talking accompanying them. She ducked into a nearby room. Listening at the door, as the voices grew nearer and nearer.

"…stunned him, threw him out," one of the voices said. "It was just a big scuffle over nothing."

"Naturally," another voice replied. "It's not like we get many off-worlders here, anymore. Wonder what…"

The voices trailed off, into the distance, as they seemed to continue down the corridor that Seo had just found blocked.

Seo snuck out of the room, and just glimpsed an automated door sliding shut behind the two young men, in guard attire, as they continued on their way.

Her eyes went wide, and she sprinted for the door.

But it closed long before she got there.

"Brilliant," Seo muttered, stumbling to a halt. She spun back around, to go the other way — but found the corridor had changed, once again.

Another automated door lay at the other end.

"Seems someone's noticed machines don't pick me up," Seo decided. Heading towards it, and grabbing the edge of the door with both hands. "And wants me…" She shoved it, hard as she could. Felt the door beginning to give way. "…trapped."

The door, with a groan, gave way to her brute strength.

And opened.

"Piece of cake," Seo said, with a smile, stepping through.

That was when the alarms went off.

"Tripped by my forcing the door!" Seo realized, belting forwards. Made sense — this alarm was probably created to detect stealth robots, trying to sneak in and avoid detection by automated systems.

Unfortunately, stealth robots would probably be able to run faster than her. And would probably know the layout of this place better than she did.

"Intruder! I see her!" came the shout of one of the guards, behind her.

Seo sprinted.

Trying but failing to navigate her way through twisting and changing corridors and paintings whose eyes seemed to follow her wherever she went. The hatred and anger burned through the air, searing deep down inside Seo's senses, and she had to push herself to go on, despite it all.

As she stepped through the threshold of one room — gleaming white, with jewel-encrusted ornamentation along the walls — the hatred burned even deeper, and Seo stumbled.

The guards caught up with her, pointing their guns directly in her face.

"Stop!" came a voice.

The guards withdrew, and Seo blinked, able to see a man in a 21st century style business suit, with vaguely Arabian-style shoes and something that looked like a cross between a bowler hat and a turban.

"Sultan," said one of the guards, kneeling down. "We found this intruder in a forbidden—"

"Yes," said the Sultan, inspecting her. "But for an intruder, she's very… easy on the eyes. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I'm sorry?" Seo said. Jumping to her feet. "You think I'd be even remotely interested in you — after what you've done to all those other women who wound up in your palace?"

"And such spirit!" said the Sultan, clapping his hands. "Yes. I think she might be perfect as my new wife."

Seo quirked an eyebrow. "I think not."

The Sultan didn't seem bothered at all by this. Just sat down in his… medieval-style throne… and crossed his legs.

"In fact," Seo continued, marching up to him, her eyes narrowed, "I think whatever sort of twisted game you're playing, I'm going to stop you. Because killing women in some re-enactment of Scheherazade isn't any sort of fantasy — and while I'm around, you won't dare…!"

The Sultan sighed, loudly. "And now… that spirit is starting to bore me," he said. Waved his hand. "Genie. Make her complacent."

"Genie?!" Seo stepped forwards, hands bunching into fists. "Oh, don't tell me. You have one of those houses with its own intelligence. And just to make sure it was like Arabian Nights, you called it 'Genie'—"

Which was when she felt that same murderous hatred and anger that had been lurking throughout the palace suddenly surge up behind her — in a concentrated burst.

And, before she could react, Seo felt someone thrust cold hands deep down into her mind.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Seo gritted through her teeth, spinning around and thrusting her own hands through the mind of whoever was trying to drain hers. Soaking back up everything that had been stolen.

It was a girl — who looked about Seo's own age. Adorned in Arabianesque-style garb, her face impossibly young but everything else about her screaming eternity. And despite looking like a perfectly normal human… Seo could see the girl trailing far into the higher dimensions.

The girl stepped back from Seo, hands retreating from Seo's head — with a gasp.

" _You_ ," said the girl.

For a second, Seo just paused. Looking the girl over, trying to work out what she was doing here and why there was some higher-dimensional being floating around this palace, sucking people's brains out on the Sultan's command.

Then, the girl's eyes narrowed.

And, her voice seeped in a very familiar murderous rage, said, " _You_!"

"Genie!" the Sultan demanded, twisting a ring on his finger. "You have not done my bidding."

The girl cried out, as the ring seemed to twist and contort and split her apart in the higher dimensions. Seo could see the scarring from other times this had happened…

And realized just what level of abuse this girl had felt.

"Stop that!" Seo said, spinning on the Sultan, eyes blazing.

He didn't stop.

Or even seem to care what Seo said.

Seo, angry beyond words now, leapt towards him, kicking his arms open so that he lost his grip on the ring. He tried to rise from his throne, but she shoved him back down again.

"You and I," Seo said, "have to have a little discussion about basic human decency. You got that, Mr. Misogynistic…?!"

As she felt the blast of the guards' stun beams hitting her, she realized she'd gone too far.

And fell, unconscious, to the ground.

* * *

The Sultan smoothed down his suit, regaining his breath, as Seo toppled to the ground.

"Yes," he said, looking her over. "Beautiful. But untamable and needlessly aggressive. A shame. But assaulting a Sultan — the law's very clear about that." He turned to his guards. "Kill her."

"No!" cried the Genie.

The Sultan raised his hand, to stay the guards.

Regarding the Genie, curiously.

"Please, oh wise and powerful and… honorable Sultan," the Genie said, getting down on her knees before him. "Spare this one."

"Pleading?" the Sultan remarked, impressed. "You know, since the day I became Sultan, I've never heard you plead. Not once."

The Genie glared down at the ground, teeth clenched.

"Why her?" the Sultan asked. "Why plead for this one? She can't save you."

The Genie didn't answer. Teeth still clenched, as she struggled to hold back her rage.

At long last, she said, in a very low voice, "Spare this one… and I'll reward you."

That led to laughter from everyone still in the room. The Sultan more than anyone else.

"You mean you'll finally stop hunting down and killing my wives?" the Sultan asked. "I doubt it." He looked back at Seo. Then, with the wave of his hands, commanded his guards, "Lock her in the dungeons." He turned his eyes to the Genie. "I want to know what our Genie has planned."

The guards crossed in front of the Sultan, to pick up the unconscious Seo and drag her into a cell.

By the time the guards had cleared the room… the Genie was already gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack came to.

And groaned, as he felt the lingering headache from the stun blast that had caught him, earlier.

"Didn't even have the respect to just kill me, huh?" said Jack. He tried to get back to his feet, seeing the palace gates outside the window. "Guess that's something. Means Seo can't get into too much trouble before I rescue—"

He was pushed back down onto… was this a bed? And squinted at something… some _one_ … he hadn't quite seen properly.

Hadn't even noticed.

She glowed. Her features smooth and soft, her eyes fierce and wild, yet seductive. She traced the line of his jaw with her fingertips.

"Your Key can wait," said the woman, in a low voice. She leaned down, and kissed him — a long, passionate kiss, with each vying for dominance. "First… you will save me."

Jack grabbed her up, rolled her over so she was the one pinned down to the bed.

"Fine by me," Jack replied. Leaning down for another kiss.

* * *

Seo blinked, as she came to from the stun blast.

And found herself in a dark, steel prison cell.

"Oh, brilliant!" she shouted at no one in particular. "Stainless steel walls! In the middle of the Arabian Nights Fantasy Planet!"

No answer.

She leapt to her feet, throwing open her arms. "Doesn't anyone here bother to actually read things before they make elaborate fantasy planets about them?!" she shouted.

Still, no answer.

Seo sighed.

Then got to work, trying to pick a — surprisingly tricky — lock.

She'd been at it for about half an hour… when she heard the sound of a throat clearing, behind her.

Seo spun around.

And there, standing in a corner with her arms folded, was the Genie.

Her hair and clothes in a bit more of a mess than they had been, last time Seo had seen her.

"So," said the Genie, her voice edged with bitter anger, "you  _finally_  decided to show up."

Seo frowned. "You were expecting me?"

Then gave an annoyed sigh. As she worked it out.

"You brought me here," Seo said. "No wonder I didn't wind up in 2626!"

"I've been trying to get you here for only  _forever_ , now, yeah," said the Genie. She gave a snort. "Couldn't see you well enough to pinpoint you, though, until recently. That Cyberplanner in your head  _really_  makes you stand out from a crowd!"

Seo didn't answer.

Just crossed her arms and gave the Genie a pointed and intimidating stare — the way Mom always used to.

"Oh, don't give me that," said the Genie. "You could be a little more grateful. After all, if I hadn't stepped in, that Sultan was going to shoot you."

"And if you didn't need me for something, you'd have ripped me apart, same as all the other women you killed, here," Seo replied. "Don't bother denying it — your anger and resentment lingered after their deaths. I can feel it like your signature, floating in the air."

The Genie didn't bother denying it.

Just shrugged.

"They were nothing," said the Genie. "What did it matter?"

Seo bunched her hands into fists. "Nothing?!"

"Do you care when you step on an ant?" said the Genie. "Or squish a spider? Look, I'll admit — some of you lesser beings have your plus points. Your friend, Jack, for instance… now  _there's_ someone who can show a girl a good time!"

Seo looked at the Genie's messed up hair and clothes.

And Seo buried her face in her hands.

"You slept with Jack," she muttered. "I really didn't want to know that."

"But in the end, you're all just so small," said the Genie. Looking Seo up and down, with disgust on her face. "Even those who  _think_  themselves big enough to kill immortals."

Seo stepped forwards. "Look, just who the hell are you?" she demanded. "And, if you hate us small people so much, why are you down in these dimensions in the first place?!"

The Genie didn't answer for a long moment.

When she did, her voice was very low.

And bitterly angry.

"My name is Terazina," said the Genie. "And the reason I'm stuck here, in these dimensions, degraded and humiliated and at the mercy of lesser beings… is because of  _you_." She met Seo's eyes with hers. "Seosyrae."

* * *

Jack woke up, as if from a dream.

Which was weird, because he hadn't been asleep and wasn't dreaming.

He rubbed his head, as he climbed out of bed tried to think about what he needed to do next. Fumbling around for his pants and vest, he had trouble… remembering…

"Terazina," Jack repeated.

That was the only thing he could think about.

All he remembered.

"Terazina," Jack said. Holstering his revolver. "I have to save her. I'm the only one who can. I…"

He paused.

Then hit his head against the wall.

"What the hell am I talking about?" Jack said. "I'm not knocking the sex, but… that Terazina needs no help from me. I have to… I promised… someone… I'd look after…"

He frowned.

Trying hard to think about what he'd promised.

"Terazina," he said, finally. Heading down to the street. "I… have to save… Terazina." He checked to make sure his revolver was fully loaded. "I have to kill the person who made her trapped like this."

* * *

Seo's anger fell away.

"No," Seo insisted. Looking at all the scarring in Terazina's higher dimensions. "No, I couldn't have. Trap someone evil in a place where they can't do any harm —  _that's_ me, yes. But I'd never leave someone, no matter how evil, to get mercilessly tortured by insane dictatorial—!"

"Oh, stop taking it so literally!" Terazina groaned, shoving Seo roughly back, so she stumbled against the far wall. "For your information,  _kid_ , the technology behind the Lamp and the Ring that keep me stuck in my current situation is way beyond  _your_  tiny little mind."

"Thanks," Seo muttered.

"And trust me, I curse the names of  _everyone_  who got me stuck here," Terazina continued. Her face in a murderous scowl. "All those Sultans, year after year. Never letting me go! If I could get the chance to make them suffer and die, all over again…!"

"If this is your pitch for me releasing you," Seo cut in, "I think I'll pass."

Terazina turned on her. "Releasing…?!" She shook her head. "Oh, you think you're so high and mighty, don't you? Little Miss I-Gave-Up-Everything-To-Be-Sweet-and-Nice-and-Helpless."

Seo sprung back to her feet, fists bared.

"Not helpless," she corrected.

"I mean, look at you!" Terazina continued. "You act like you're just as big as me… but you're not. Not even higher dimensional! You're just… dangling right in the middle of the higher dimensions — like a cat on a string! Every so often, you swing to one side or another and grab up an ability for a little while, but… then you're right back to where you started." She gave a stark laugh. "Full of emotions and completely lacking in power."

"Is there any point to this little tirade?" Seo said.

"So you put on your tough act, like you're some great big hero — all because you brutally murdered that wussy excuse you had for a mother," Terazina continued, with a laugh, "and you turn into a blubbering wreck every time you think about her pathetic life being snuffed out—!"

Seo screamed, and punched Terazina squarely in the jaw.

"Don't," Seo warned, stepping back, "ever talk about Mom like that…  _ever_  again."

Terazina rubbed her jaw, slightly stunned — as if trying to process that this little, shrimpy, part-human mortal had just  _hurt_  her.

"Well, you might not have a lot of brains," Terazina said. "But you've got guts. I'll give you that." She rubbed her jaw, again. "Build up those muscles a little, and you could probably break something."

"That was a  _warning_ ," Seo hissed. Her eyes narrow. "Now… what do you want me for?"

Terazina leaned back against the wall of the cell.

Looking at Seo like she was an idiot.

"I said, what's so important about me that you'd actually spare my life to…?!" Seo began shouting. Then stopped.

Sighed.

"The Key," said Seo. "Obviously. You want to go home."

"I'd have used your counterpart," said Terazina, looking down at her nails. "But she's not got the time travel capability to get here. And… besides…" Shooting a pointed look at Seo. "Everyone knows what happened to the  _last_  hell goddess who tried to use her to get home."

Seo raised up her fists again.

"You even  _think_  about using her," Seo warned, "and I'll break more than just your jaw." She fixed her eyes, steadily, on Terazina. "Now. As to your plan to use me to get you home — you just answer this: after coming in here and insulting me, my family, my mother, sleeping with Jack and murdering countless innocent people… why would I  _ever_  want to risk the universe to help you?"

Terazina rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't get so melodramatic on me," Terazina said. "I'm not asking you to risk any universes. You just hold open the universal gateways for a blink of an eye… and I'll be out of your hair. No harm done."

Seo didn't drop her fighting stance.

"And if I refuse?" Seo said.

"Why would you?"

"Because you're a miserable, self-absorbed, egotistical git," said Seo, "who — I'll admit, isn't in the greatest position, right now — but has still decided to take out her anger by going on massive killing sprees without caring in the slightest about any of your victims. You don't care about them, so why should I care about you?"

Terazina gave a long, elaborate sigh. "Oh, must we go into threats?" she lamented. "It's so gauche!"

In a matter of seconds, she was across the room.

Dangling Seo in the air, by her ear.

"If you don't send me home," said Terazina, "I'll make your life a living hell. And then I'll make Jack fall in love with me, and dote on my every word. And  _he'll_  make your life a living hell." She leaned down, to whisper into Seo's ear. "And I'll just keep killing more and more innocents, every single day you keep me here."

She dropped Seo to the floor.

"Ready to get me home, yet?" Terazina asked.

Seo flipped onto her hands, and kicked out, shoving Terazina back against the back wall of the cell — hard enough to leave a dent.

Terazina, once again, gave a momentary flicker of surprise at the attack.

Then tried to brush it off. But the limp gave her away.

"You've got a real knack for that, huh?" Terazina shook her head. "Too bad you're such a peace-loving wimp. You're out of practice."

Seo jumped back to her feet.

Breathing hard.

"So?" said Terazina. "What's it to be, kid?"

A few moments silence.

"I'll rescue you, Terazina," Seo decided. "But only because I know you're just lashing out because you're suffering and in pain." She brushed some hair behind her shoulders. "And, quite frankly, I'd rather have you outside this universe than inside it."

"Rescue me?" said Terazina. She stepped past Seo, floating through the door to the cell like it wasn't there at all. "Don't get ideas, Key. You're sending me home. The rescue is courtesy of the ever-handsome Captain Jack."

"What?!" Seo lunged for Terazina, but missed her.

Terazina, with a proud smile and wave of her hand, reconfigured the spacial geometry of Seo's cell for just long enough that she could slip out. "Stay put until I need you, Key."

Seo rushed after her, but instead slammed into the heavy metal which had reappeared in its former place.

She staggered.

Then slammed her hand down against the door to her cell.

"Terazina!" Seo shouted. "What did you do to Jack?!" Slammed her hand, again. "What did you do?!"


	4. Chapter 4

Jack kept trying to regain his mind.

But it kept slipping away from him.

"Got… to kill…" Jack staggered. Then gave a shaky laugh. "Whoa. What was in that vodka last night?"

Then almost fell over.

"I must be losing my mind," Jack decided.

Then couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing, considering all the stuff he'd done lately and all the ways he'd let people down.

Maybe a good dose of insanity was just what he needed.

"Just… keep feeling… like I should remember… someone else…" Jack muttered.

But all he could think was that he needed to rescue Terazina. He  _had_  to!

Gradually, all other thoughts just melted away.

And he got out his revolver.

* * *

Seo breathed a sigh of relief, as she finally managed to pick the lock of her dungeon cell. The more she'd thought about it, the more she knew… there was definitely something not right about this whole situation.

"She's kept here by… a Lamp, and a Ring," Seo muttered to herself. Shaking her head. "What kind of twisted Arabian Nights fantasy planet is this?!"

The thing Seo couldn't quite figure out was what the Lamp and the Ring actually were. And what they technically did, to keep Terazina trapped here.

And… apart from the fact that Seo had closed the dimensions… just why did Terazina blame Seo, herself, for keeping Terazina trapped here?

"She's not stupid," Seo decided. "If she's making threats and purposely ticking me off… it's because she's trying to distract me from something else that's going on. Something she's hiding underneath all those threats."

The thing Seo needed to find out, now… was what.

It took Seo a little while of sneaking around the hallways, before she managed to slip into the throne room, again. The Sultan sitting on his throne, in his business suit, looking on at the jester in front of him, bored.

"Here's a joke straight out of the Arabian Nights themselves," the jester was saying. "Knock, knock!"

The Sultan, with a yawn, got up from his throne.

"Throw him into the dungeons," he commanded his guards. "I think it's time I passed a law prescribing death to any who tell knock-knock jokes."

Seo dodged behind a velvet curtain, to hide herself from the guards that were heading towards the jester.

"But, your majesty, I…!" the jester cried, as he was dragged away.

The moment their attention was fixed on the jester, Seo took advantage to dart over to the next group of curtains, hiding behind them.

And behind the Sultan's back.

"And guards!" the Sultan called after them, stepping forwards. A small smile on his face. "While in the dungeons… check on my Genie's prisoner. I am fascinated to know what, precisely, the Genie wants with that girl."

The guards saluted, in a very un-Arabian style.

And headed off to the dungeons, with the jester.

Seo crept out of her hiding spot, towards the throne. She  _could_  see an Arabian-style, unpolished brass lamp, just beside the Sultan's throne.

One that matched the story just a little too well.

She took a few more silent steps forwards, reaching out to snatch it and figure out what, exactly, it was — and what it did.

But the Sultan collapsed back into his throne, and Seo froze. Ducking down behind the throne's huge back, as the Sultan glanced behind him, just for a second.

She reached for the lamp, slowly.

But snatched her hand away, as, idly, the Sultan picked up the lamp, instead. Holding it in his hands, in front of him. Examining it.

"Keep her alive, and the Genie will reward me," the Sultan mused. "Now. What use is one pretty young girl, when you've murdered every other one who's walked through the door?"

"More use than you could possibly imagine," said Terazina, as she appeared in the room. "In a few moments, I'm going to be free, Carvao. And you are going to be dead."

The Sultan paused.

Then laughed.

"The way you killed my predecessor?" said the Sultan. "I've blocked off the secret passageway used to get to this room. The poison used against him has since been completely eradicated."

He unbuttoned his suit jacket, to reveal an absorption brace.

"And I've got myself armored against the most powerful energy rifles you could imagine," said the Sultan. "You won't find a champion that can best me, Genie."

Which was when Seo noticed a shadow cross the skylight, overhead.

And then… the shattering of glass, as the figure fell through and landed on the floor.

Aiming a gun straight at the Sultan.

And fired.

Seo leapt from her hiding spot and threw herself at the Sultan, slamming the man to the ground so that the shot missed. Seo and the Sultan tumbled to floor, rolling together down the steps that led to the Sultan's throne, until Seo could manage to get back to her feet and drag the Sultan behind her.

"Come on, your highness!" Seo said, racing to the exit of the throne room. Glanced over her shoulder. "We're not hanging about to let you be killed… by…"

Seo slowed.

Her jaw dropping, as she realized who the gunman was.

"Jack?" Seo cried.

Jack got to his feet, gun still in hand.

"I never kill my victims the same way, twice," said Terazina. "And I'm already changing the geometry of the palace to ensure your guards never make it here to save you." Turning to Jack. "Do it, my love. Free me."

"Jack, whatever she's told you is a lie!" Seo insisted, dropping the Sultan's hand and charging towards Jack. "Don't listen to—!"

Jack, his face completely impassive, eyes fixed only on the Sultan, shot.

Three times, each in the Sultan's chest.

The bullets from his revolver piercing the energy-blast absorbing armor easily, so the Sultan gasped, as he slumped down to the floor.

And died.

"No!" Seo shouted, lunging towards the dying man. She checked for a pulse, but there was none. Snapped her head up, to glare at Jack. "What did you do that for? Terazina is insane, Jack! You can't…!"

Jack turned the revolver on Seo.

And Seo froze.

"No, not her!" Terazina cried, leaping out in front of Seo. She planted a smile on her face, her voice shaking as she stepped, slowly, towards Jack. "My love, my savior… take the Ring and the Lamp. Free me. We need the Key for later."

"She is the reason you are stuck here," said Jack, "in these dimensions. Degraded and humiliated and at the mercy of lesser beings."

Seo frowned. "But… that sounds… exactly like…"

Jack stepped sideways, so Seo was in his sights. And took the shot.

Terazina leapt in front of the bullet. Then cried out, as it struck her squarely in the chest. Where — if she'd been a lower-dimensional being — her heart would have been located.

But, her being what she was… the bullet didn't even topple her.

Just made her stagger, a little, under the impact.

"Just another tiny, little ant who thinks herself so much better than you," Jack continued, stepping past Terazina and towards Seo, gun pointed at her. "Short little lives, barely worth the air they breathe. What does one life matter, when I could have…"

He paused.

Lowering the gun, a little, as he stared out at Seo.

His face contorting in confusion and sudden revelation.

"That's right, Jack," Seo urged him. "You know me. You wouldn't want to hurt me. Whatever she's done… snap out of it!"

But he wasn't looking at her.

In several quick strides, he was at the side of the dead Sultan, knocking Seo away sharply so he could examine the body himself.

Seo, a little too stunned to manage to catch herself, tumbled to the ground.

Looking, first at Jack… and then at Terazina.

"What did you do to him?!" Seo hissed at Terazina.

"Your friend is now my obedient servant," Terazina replied, straightening. "And my savior. Which means, if you don't do exactly what I say, I'll make him—"

"Obedient servant?!" Seo climbed back to her feet. "He  _shot_  you!"

"Only because he knew my intense loathing for you," Terazina replied, stalking forwards, her eyes narrowed. "If I didn't need you, I'd gladly listen to you writhe in agony, begging me for some mercy while I—!"

Terazina stumbled, and cried out.

As an invisible force lashed at her, across the higher dimensions.

Seo turned, to discover Jack had discarded his gun. And, instead, was holding the Lamp and the Ring. His eyes intent on Terazina.

"On the contrary —  _you_ , Terazina, are  _my_  obedient servant," Jack said. He slipped the ring on his finger, and gave Terazina another vicious lash. "I own you, Genie. And you will do everything I say. You'll find me women, riches, power and—"

"No!" Terazina screamed, hands tangled in her hair. "Not this! Not again!"

"Again?" Seo muttered.

As Seo carefully knelt down, by the ground. And picked up Jack's gun.

"You miserable humans, always submitting to your greed and your lust and your desire for domination!" Terazina shouted. "You all deserve to be ground into sand! Nothing but death and pain and—!"

Seo stood up, spinning on Jack.

"Sorry, Jack," she said, stepping forwards and placing the gun against the back of his neck.

Took a deep breath.

And fired.


	5. Chapter 5

Terazina's eyes went wide, in utter horror, as Jack… half his head blown away… collapsed onto the floor.

Dead.

"You… you… idiot!" Terazina shrieked. "I'd only secured one link! You've condemned me to an eternity of—!"

"Looks to me like you're already doing a brilliant job of condemning yourself," Seo said, disarming the gun and dropping it to the ground. She stepped over Jack's body, towards Terazina. "I can't see what part  _I_  play in  _that_."

Terazina gritted her teeth.

"I'm going to kill you," Terazina swore.

Seo folded her arms. "You really are so overcome with lust, anger, revenge, and desire for domination that you miss the completely obvious, huh?"

Terazina hesitated. "What do you…?"

"'Not  _again_ ', you said," Seo went on. "And from the way you and the last Sultan were talking… you've been killing Sultans for a while now. Every time, getting some poor sap who fell for you to do the deed, in the hopes he'll free you. But none of them ever do."

"Barbarians," Terazina hissed. "Termites on the universe! A plague of—!"

"And you never, in all that time," Seo cut in, sternly, "noticed that all those men you'd brainwashed… were acting just like  _you_."

Terazina paused.

Then, a little confused… "What?!"

"That rant about humans being like ants," Seo explained, heading back over to Jack. "All that stuff about 'lesser beings'. The obedient servant thing! You do realize that humans don't usually talk like that, right? Not unless they're psychopaths — and those are pretty rare."

"But…"

Seo stooped down by Jack, picked up the Lamp. "Then, of course, there's the obvious thing you've overlooked," Seo continued, putting her free hand on Jack's shoulder. "Maybe, if you hadn't been so absorbed trying to kill or manipulate everyone nearby, you'd have taken the time to actually  _look_  at us lesser beings and see…"

Jack jerked upright.

Gasping back to life.

"…that Jack can't actually die," Seo finished. Helping Jack to his feet. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've got the universe's biggest hangover," Jack said, wincing and rubbing his head. "Do you have to speak so loud?"

Terazina stared.

As she finally saw far enough past her own ambitions and desires to see…

"He's a fixed point in time and space," Terazina said. "How did I miss that?"

Jack turned.

Noticed Terazina.

"Hey, I remember you," he said, pointing at her. Then noticed the Ring on his finger. "Got married, huh? Wow. Must have been one hell of a night."

"You didn't get married, you got brainwashed," Seo corrected. Then, sneaking a peak over at Terazina, added, "But not very well." She pointed at the Ring. "What is that? A multi-dimensional compression field, to squeeze you down into these dimensions?"

Terazina didn't answer.

"Except after I killed Jack, you said something about there being 'only one link' — inside Jack's head — to your jailer," Seo said. "At a guess, that'd be a psychic link to you, through the ring, implanted in a guy's mind right when you're sleeping with him. Am I right?"

"Right at the point of climax," said Terazina. "Easiest time. Otherwise, they tend to figure out what you're doing and stab you in the back with it." She shrugged. "What's your point?"

Seo looked away, in disgust. "Aside from that fact that you're taking a moment that's about trust and love and closeness, and twisting it so it's used for manipulation and deceit?"

"Don't be a romantic," said Terazina. "Sex is just sex. Fun." Giving Jack a sly, sexy smile. "And we all enjoy our little pleasures. Don't we?"

"Aside from that," Seo cut in, pointedly, "you're creating a powerful psychic link, through your 'Ring' and 'Lamp', connecting a human mind to a multi-dimensional one. During a moment when all human natural defenses are down."

"So?" said Terazina.

Seo stepped forwards, eyes blazing. "So what do you think happens to them?!" she shouted. "They start off normal, and by the end, they're killing their friends and talking exactly like you! Overcome with  _your_  emotions, thoughts, and desires!"

Terazina couldn't speak for a moment.

Trying to take it all in.

"You burned out their brains, Terazina," said Seo. "The psychic link was too strong, and overwhelmed them. So every time they found the Lamp and the Ring, each one felt your same desire for dominance and power. But wanted it to work for  _them_. So they each turned the Lamp and the Ring against you, and continued in their predecessor's shoes. With you still trapped. And oppressed."

Terazina opened her mouth to speak.

But… said nothing.

Suddenly looking less like an arrogant godlike being, and more… young and lost.

"So what do you do, after they fail to release you?" Seo says. "Revenge. Murder their wives and anyone else they like or trust — anyone who might have been able to bring these men back to their senses! Until you find and seduce someone else. Burn out his mind. And start the whole thing starts over again! An endless cycle of violence, death, and destruction."

"I… I didn't…" Terazina swallowed, hard.

Taking this all in.

Then, suddenly, seemed to realize she was showing weakness. Fixed a cruel glare onto her face, and advanced on Seo.

"So that means you two will  _have_  to free me and send me back," Terazina said. "Or I'll burn out the minds of everyone left on this planet." She grabbed for Seo, yanking her by the hair. "Maybe I'll start by burning out  _yours._ "

Jack struck out at Terazina, with the hand still wearing the Ring.

And Terazina flew back, stumbling and gasping under the blow.

"Stay away from her," Jack warned.

Terazina faltered.

As if trying to hold herself together, even though she could feel herself starting to fall apart.

"You… think you're so much better… than me," Terazina struggled to say. Pointing a finger at Seo. "You… think I'm anything like you?! You think I came down here because I wanted to feel and emote and enjoy life, like… like…!"

Then she burst into tears.

Seo and Jack exchanged a puzzled look.

Before rushing over to try to calm her down.

"I'm like you," Terazina was sobbing. "I'm like you. Just a stupid, miserable excuse for a higher being! And… it can't… be…!"

Seo and Jack looked at one another, again.

Not sure how to react to this.

"If you're worried about being like me… don't be," Seo replied, with a shrug. "What with your callous attitude towards human life and your insatiable need for power… I'd say we're about as far apart as anyone could get."

That just made Terazina sob even harder.

"Hang on," said Jack. Thinking fast. "She said… only one psychic link? But when she put the link into my head… there were two of us. Me and the Sultan." He glanced back at the dead man. Cringed. Then looked away. "So you can't transfer the psychic link… but you can add to it. And I'm guessing…" with a careful eye over Terazina, "that you found that out by accident."

Seo quirked an eyebrow at Jack.

"She's got a compression field fitted inside a wedding ring, Seo," said Jack, with a shrug. "Who do you think she gave it to, when she first got here?"

Seo stared at the gold band.

Suddenly realizing.

"A wedding ring," Seo said. "That's why you're in these dimensions! You came here to get  _married_!"

Terazina didn't answer.

"Whoever he was, you must have trusted him," Jack pointed out, "if you gave him your dimensional compression ring."

"He cheated on me," Terazina said. Bunching her hands into fists. "After I ran away from home for him! Squeezed myself into the lower dimensions for him! After I trusted him enough to… give him…!"

She couldn't go on.

Seo, her voice softening a little, placed a hand on Terazina's back. "Tell us what really happened," she urged. "Why you're really here."

"What'll it matter?" Terazina muttered. "It won't convince you to send me home. I've tried threatening everything you care about… and you  _still_ …!"

"Terazina," Seo cut in, before this could go on much further. "Please. Tell me. What happened?"

Terazina hesitated.

Then… her voice still a little shaky… she told them.


	6. Chapter 6

"My people liked to come down from the higher dimensions, every so often," Terazina explained, "just to find amusement with the mortals. Toy with them, a little. Play some games. Before we headed back home."

She looked down at the ground.

A smile touching her lips.

"They'd scooped him up, along with all the other mortals we were using for our games," Terazina said. Her cheeks glowing with the memory. "Ajer Hiab; well, I suppose that's what passes for a name from Arabian Nights, at this point in time. But Ajer's mind… was…" She shook her head. "Fascinating. Amazing. It made me feel alive — a mind brimming with intensity and passion and love."

"But you couldn't feel any of that for yourself," Seo pointed out. "You were just plucking  _his_  emotions out of his head, and pretending they were  _yours_."

"But I  _wanted_  them to be mine," Terazina insisted. She waved her hand at the world around them. "This mortal plane… it's just the blink of an eye to my kind. But to live in that blink of an eye with Ajer and be able to  _feel_  those kinds of things…!"

She paused.

Her eyes falling on the Ring, still around Jack's finger.

"He asked me to come home with him, at the end of my people's games," Terazina said. "So I constructed that ring. Something to allow me to run away. Be like Ajer. Feel what he felt."

"And you got married," said Jack.

Terazina nodded. "Ajer's father built this planet," she told them. "When I first arrived… it was wonderful. I was on a new world, surrounded by a universe that's usually too minuscule to see, loved by someone and finding myself loving him in return." She chuckled. "And I found out all the fun things you mortals do that my people have never even thought about."

"Sex," said Jack.

"Except you  _didn't_  burn out  _Ajer's_  mind, did you?" Seo guessed. "That's how you know what guys can do when the link is voluntary. Ajer accepted the link… but used it to hide things from you."

Terazina glanced at the Lamp.

Then looked away, hurriedly.

"He used to call me his little Genie," Terazina said. "Because I was so powerful, and yet… I'd chained myself to him. I thought it was a joke… but he took it literally." She bunched her hands into fists. "He changed. All that paranoia! The world could end any day, now, he'd say — we had to enjoy it while it lasted."

"World could end any day?" Jack asked.

Terazina didn't answer.

"He started convincing me to do things, through that psychic link," Terazina said. "Convincing me that I was doing them for  _us_. I killed Ajer's father, so the planet became Ajer's, and only his. Ajer got all his family's wealth, along with power over the whole planet."

Her jaw trembled.

"But he only wanted that wealth and power to throw big parties to impress other women," Terazina hissed. "I wasn't a real person, he said. Our marriage didn't count, he said." Her whole body fuming with rage. "All those pretty little women he took as wives! Giggling and buzzing around him — thinking they were so wonderful when they were like ants compared to me."

Seo's face fell.

"I'm sorry," she offered. "He used you."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Terazina growled. "He made me find him women, and alter their minds so they fell in love with him." A small, evil smile crept up her face. "But I showed him. I found someone to keep  _me_  company. And Brian was a sex god compared to Ajer!"

"You slept with Brian out of revenge and anger," Seo muttered. "Of course. That's how it all started."

"I could only pass on the psychic link to a man," Terazina continued. "Didn't realize it until later, but somehow… Brian got the link in his head, too. Along with Ajer. Brian felt how I felt. He murdered Ajer for me — and good riddance to the bastard!" She hesitated. Her eyes falling on that lamp, yet again. "But then… Brian found out. And he changed, too."

"Found out what?" said Seo.

"I needed more control," said Terazina. "A way to stop them finding out about the Lamp! So I tried it again, and changed the moment when I planted the link. I figured… when their shields were all down… that'd be the perfect time."

"And, as a result, you burned out their brains," said Jack. Shrugged. "Puts kind of a damper on the sex, huh?"

Terazina gave Jack a little smile. "You didn't seem to mind." Reached out, tracing her fingertips across his jaw. "Wanna give it another go?"

Seo batted the hand away.

"Stop trying to brainwash Jack!" Seo snapped. "We're not about to give you the chance to try it again, another way, to see if it works better."

Terazina turned on Seo.

Her face growing so furious, the emotion leaked through the air around them, almost alive in its anger and hatred and rage.

"All those nights I spent here, alone," Terazina whispered. "Tortured and destroyed. Listening as the men I thought I loved threw that all in my face and made love to someone else…" Her voice lowered. "I never stopped cursing you."

Seo faltered.

"Why do you think all this can only be controlled by a man?!" Terazina shouted, jumping to her feet and glaring Seo down. She waved at the lamp. "Because of  _you_.  _You_  are the reason that  _all_  of this happened!"

With a scream of rage, she threw herself at Seo, fists raised, to beat the living daylights out of her.

But Jack jumped in front of Seo.

Holding up his hands.

"Hey, hey, let's all calm down, here!" Jack said, as Terazina slowed and stopped herself. Jack glanced back at Seo. "You know what she's talking about?"

"No," both Seo and Terazina said, at once.

Jack nodded, slowly. "Well, that clears it up," he muttered.

Terazina pointed a finger in Seo's face. "You never even met me," she spat. "I didn't even know who you were! But you still did all  _this_  to me!"

Terazina spun around, grabbed up a vase.

And, ducking around Jack, hurled it towards Seo, with all her strength.

Seo darted out of the way — the vase smashing against the far wall and shattering.

"Can you imagine what it was like, knowing  _you_  were the only one who could send me home?!" Terazina shouted. "After you destroyed my life, my marriage, and every chance I had at happiness! Do you have any idea just how unfair that is?!"

"And… we've never met?" Seo shook her head, thinking it all through. "This doesn't have to do with my sealing away the dimensions, right?"

Terazina glared at her.

"No, I didn't think so," Seo muttered. "If it were, you'd have known from the start that  _I'd_  be the one to send you back. Because only I could get around that."

Seo's eyes drifted to the lamp.

"No," Seo muttered, tilting her head to the side. "Whatever you blame me for… it has to do with that Lamp." She turned back to Terazina. "What is the Lamp, really? What does it do?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd  _love_  to know  _that_!" Terazina hissed, lunging towards Seo, again.

"Whoa, ladies," Jack said, grabbing Seo and yanking her out of the way of Terazina's rage. "No need for violence. I'm sure, whatever this is really about, if you just  _explain_  it, Seo will—"

Terazina flung Jack out of her way — hard enough that he dented the wall as he impacted.

"Get me home," Terazina said to Seo, "or I'll keep brainwashing and killing your friend until I get it right. Then I'll have him drop by Earth, to pick up that other Key, and bring  _her_  here, instead." She leaned in, closer, so she was right in Seo's face. "And I'll make  _sure_  she dies in the process."

Seo forced down her own anger.

Meeting Terazina's eyes with her deep brown ones.

"You know, for someone with a backstory that makes me entirely sympathetic," Seo remarked, "you seem very sure I won't send you back."

"I'll keep killing people, until you do!" Terazina insisted. "I'll kill everyone. I'll… I'll… help the Daleks destroy the universe! I'll crush galaxies under my fist! I'll—!"

"Now, what could be so horrible about releasing you," Seo continued, tapping her index finger against her chin, "that you'd need to threaten my friends, my family, and the universe just to get me to comply? What did those men you loved find out about that Lamp, that made them suddenly turn against you?"

Jack groaned, as he managed to get himself free from the wall.

Terazina kept silent.

"It's a good story — you wanting to be more human, and getting betrayed," said Seo, her eyes glittering. "Maybe parts of it are even true! But… every so often… you hint at something else. Some way in which my life is wrapped up in all this."

"Psychic link only works… with a man," Jack said, regaining his balance. "So you must have been locked up by a man you  _didn't_  sleep with. Who has a strong enough mind to overcome yours." He glanced down at the lamp, with a whistle. "Well, turns out, Seo and I happen to know a man like that. Someone who stops lots of beings like you, across all time and space — and he's a bit of a looker, too. You seen the incarnation with the bow tie, yet?"

Seo elbowed Jack in the side.

Terazina looked between them. Shaking her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Is he right?" Seo asked. "Are you actually some evil entity that the Doctor trapped, long ago — trying to guilt-trip me into undoing his trap?"

"The Doctor?!" Terazina stared at her. "Are you insane? I wouldn't interact with him if you held me at gunpoint." She made a face. "Him and that Buffy Summers! If there are two people in this universe who  _never_  let people like me get what we want, it's  _them_."

Seo and Jack exchanged a look.

"So that's it?" said Jack. "That's why you're so sure Seo will never send you home? Because her parents wouldn't?"

Terazina was quiet for a long time.

"Yes," she said, at last. "That's the reason I think she won't send me home."

Seo hesitated. Looking Terazina over, curiously.

Then turned to Jack, hand outstretched. "Give me the Ring."

Jack blinked. "Sorry?"

"I'm sending her home," Seo explained, with a shrug. "Give me the Ring."

Jack flashed Terazina a hasty smile, then slung his arm around Seo, leading her away. In a hushed whisper, said, "Think this through, kid. What she said about your parents — it's all a lie. I'm guessing your father had something to do with Terazina being stuck here, and she's using you to—"

Seo shook her head.

"It's not about Father; it's about the Lamp," Seo muttered. "Whatever that Lamp is or does, it's made everyone she ever trusted turn against her. And it's got something to do with  _me_."

"Seo…"

Seo shushed him. "The world could end any day — that's what Ajer told her," Seo reminded him. "Those men all became paranoid and terrified. No brainwashing needed." Seo glanced back at Terazina. "And I need to find out why that's my fault."

"Who says it's your fault?" Jack pointed out. "Terazina's whole story was a lie."

Seo shook her head. "Not all of it," she said. "The bits about Ajer… they were true. I could see it in her — she  _really_  loved him. And I think… at first… he loved her."

She hesitated.

"Until he found something out," Seo muttered.

She snapped her eyes to Jack.

"I have to start the process of letting Terazina go," Seo whispered. "In order to see what that Lamp is. And what she's hiding. Then… I'll know how to deal with her."


	7. Chapter 7

Seo rushed around, getting everything ready.

Explaining it all to Terazina, as she went.

"I don't want to unlock the dimensions," Seo said, busying herself hooking the lamp up to some wire, snaking out from her ship.  "But there's a dimensional fracture on this planet.  So if I use the Ring and the Lamp, together, I can tap into your geometric reconfiguration powers and use those to let you slip through into the higher dimensions.  Without opening those dimensions to anyone else."

"Yeah, you say, now — but you're not really going to go through with it," Terazina said, bitterly.

Seo looked up.

Putting on her best innocent look.

"What makes you say that?" Seo asked.

Terazina didn’t answer.

"Honestly, I don't want you here any more than you want to be here," Seo told her, turning back to her work.  "You're not a particularly nice person."

Terazina crossed her arms.  "And I suppose you were hoping I'd be a save-the-universe, loves-everyone-despite-torture-and-betrayal kind of gal?"  She scoffed.  "You wouldn't send that person home, either."

Seo spun around.

"All right, really!" Seo snapped.  "In plain, straight-forwards English.  Why are you so sure I'll refuse to get you home?"

No answer.

Seo sighed, and returned to her work.  Pausing, just a little, to give the Lamp a closer examination.

Its dimensional intricacies were… astounding.

Seo still didn't know what it actually did.

But whoever had built it had been something of a genius.  More so than any human on this planet's surface.

Definitely not Ajer, then.

She finished hooking everything up, then sprinted back to the door of her ship.  Called in, to Jack, "You all ready to monitor, in there?"

"Ready when you are," Jack called back.

"Make the process unable to be stopped or undone half way through," Terazina said, suddenly.  Stepping forwards.  "Or… I'll… I'll kill everyone!"

Seo quirked an eyebrow at her.  "What are you so afraid of?"

"I… I'll torture you!" Terazina continued, throwing open her hands.  "I can do it!  I'll make you beg and scream for mercy, while—!"

Seo shoved Terazina back.

"Do you _want_ to go home?" Seo growled.  "Or _don't_ you?"

Terazina hesitated.

"Then let me get on with it," Seo said, pushing past her and taking a seat upon the floor.  In the middle of the circle formed by the wire, the lamp, and the ring.  "This takes a lot of focus.  If you want it done right… don't rush me."

Terazina spun around, trying to race out of the circle.

But, as it hummed with power… Terazina found herself trapped inside it.

"Please," Terazina said.  "I'll give you money.  I'll give you anything!  Just send me back.  _Really_ send me back!"

Seo tried to drown her out.

As she focused on that crack, and using the power flowing through the Lamp and the Ring to tease it open… just a bit.  Just enough so Terazina would think she was about to go through, as the two items released her, and Seo could see just what Terazina wanted to do once she was free.

Power surged through Seo, as she accessed the energy that made up the depths of her foundation.

The Key.

And began, very gently, to apply it…

The world wobbled.

Then the palace began to fade… and so did everything and everyone else.  Slipping out of view until there was nothing surrounding them all except sand and dust and rubbled ruins.

"What the…?!" came Jack, from inside Oliver.  Then he swore, loudly, and frantically began pressing buttons.  "But that's impossible!"

"Send me home!" Terazina screamed.  "Just send me…!"

Seo snapped the connection shut.

Trapping Terazina more soundly than before, in the prison of these lower dimensions.  Unable to cause the mischief she had in the past.

Seo glared at her.

"So _that's_ your secret," Seo said.  Climbing to her feet and advancing on Terazina.  "That's why you were so sure I wouldn't send you home."

Terazina huddled back, eyes wide.

As Seo grabbed up the Lamp, and shook it at her.

"This Lamp is a timeline manipulator!" Seo said.  "Using your higher dimensional essence to overwrite some horrible mistake, in the past, which changed history and turned this planet into a ruined husk.  The Lamp restores the old timeline, so everyone on this planet is still alive and the planet's still the way it should have been."  Her voice lowered.  "You destroyed this planet, didn't you, Terazina?  And a future-me trapped you here."

"I didn't…!"

"No, Terazina did worse than that," said Jack, stepping outside of Oliver.  Hands folded.  "Half the universe disappeared when you tried to release her, Seo."

Seo turned on Terazina.

Who was now far too weak to fight back.

"I… I'll kill…" Terazina squeaked.

"With my improvements to your prison, you won't be killing anyone, ever again," said Seo.  "And you're _never_ getting home."  She tossed Jack the lamp.  "I can't believe I fell for any of your bull!  All that about how Ajer betrayed you because he changed… but he didn't change, did he?  He just found out what you'd done!"  Bunched her hands into fists.  "And that other woman he was obsessed with — a future incarnation?  Someone who had the dimensional knowledge to build—!"

"Seo," Jack said, quietly.

She spun around to face him.

"The technology in the Lamp," said Jack.  "It's the same as the tech in the Ring she made."

Seo paused.

Then, a little hesitantly, "I don't…"

" _I_ built the Lamp," Terazina muttered.  She threw open her arms.  "How's that for you?  _I_ saved the universe.  _Me_.  Because I fell in love with one tiny little human, and wanted him safe."

"It's true," said Jack.  Looking down at the Lamp, again.  "I doubt even a future-you would know how to build something like this, Seo.  It's obviously made by her."

Seo put her hands up to her head, trying to get this all straight.  "You mean… _Ajer_ was the one who destroyed half the…?"

"No, _you_ did!" Terazina said, thrusting her finger in Seo's face.  "Don't you understand?  That's why it's _your_ fault I'm stuck here, forcing a superimposed timeline onto the universe in order to save it."

Seo didn't have anything she could say to this.

Just stood there, her jaw open.

"How?" Jack asked, instead.

Terazina folded her arms.  "Stop me if you've heard this one already," she said to Seo.  "Once upon a time, there was an insane time traveler who decided she was God, and started wandering around the universe—"

"Oh, damn," Seo grumbled, burying her face in her hands.  "Should have known."

Jack looked between the two of them.

A little confused.

"To cut a long story short," said Terazina, "the whole acting-like-God thing threw history into freefall.  Except then future-you returned from that other universe… and, for a while, everything was in flux… and everything seemed okay.  But, turns out, when history finally settled down… it wasn't the way it had been before."

"Half the universe was mysteriously missing?" Seo guessed.

"Not 'mysteriously'."  Terazina gave a long, heavy sigh.  "There was… a catastrophe.  In the distant past.  The planet Ariffildos, in the Year of Robert, 32."

Terazina looked around herself.

"It destroyed… everything," Terazina whispered.

"What kind of catastrophe?" said Jack.

Terazina didn't answer.  Her eyes fixed into the distance, as she remembered what had happened in those days just after she'd arrived.

"I could see it," Terazina told them.  "Those changes in the timeline, cascading forwards into the future, faster and faster.  Ajer… would never have been born.  This planet and Ajer's father were both destroyed long before the planet had ever been finished."

Terazina hugged her arms, as if from the cold.

Her face suddenly so far away and so lost.

"I loved him," Terazina said.  "I couldn't stand to lose him.  So… I built something to stabilize the timeline.  Just until we could find a time travel machine, to go back and fix history."

"And you made sure full control of the Lamp could only pass to men," Seo put in, "to make sure… I never got my hands on it."

One look from Terazina was all the confirmation Seo needed.

"I tried to be the good guy," said Terazina.  "Saving the universe and saving lives."  Looked at her own hands, and at the world around her.  "And just look at where it got me!"

"Ajer found out that if you ever left this reality and went home — even after he was long dead — history would change so that he'd never be born," Jack realized.  "No wonder he grew paranoid.  How'd he get you to kill his dad?  Promised that if you did, you two would have enough funds to build a time machine and fix this?"

"Yes," said Terazina.  "And, once we built the time machine, we could go back and stop Ajer's dad ever dying in the first place."  She slumped back down, onto the floor.  "Time doesn't work the same, where I come from, as it does here.  I didn't know any better."

Seo took the Lamp back from Jack.

She could see, now, looking at how the Lamp was constructed… Terazina had to be right.  It all worked on a concept of time that was completely alien to Seo's own.

Using that to superimpose a timeline that shouldn't technically exist.

"It took me a while to figure out exactly what had happened, in the past, that left the future with half as many planets — and many of those lifeless and barren," said Terazina.  She gave a mirthless laugh.  "Then I _did_ find out.  And it just made everything so much worse."

"What happened?" said Jack.

Seo shushed him.

If they were planning to go back and save the future — and Seo certainly was — then they couldn't know too much about what had happened, in the past.  Or else things could start getting messy, complicated, and paradoxical.

And go even more horribly wrong.

"You two — you're so used to being the good guys and having that work out perfectly for you," Terazina grumbled.  "You should try saving the universe and — as a direct result — getting stuck in some hell-hole for a thousand years, with everyone around you going insane the moment they discovered the truth of what you’d done for them!"  She clenched her fists.  "I just wanted some control back!  I just wanted to teach those miserable humans a _lesson_!"

"You killed hundreds of people," Seo protested.

Terazina turned on her.  "And _you_ ," she said, "destroyed the future!"

Seo couldn't answer this.

Jack just looked away, unable to meet Terazina's eyes.

"Oh, and there's that _look_!" Terazina pointed an accusing finger at Jack.  "I've seen it more times than you can count, Jack Harkness!  That's the look of a man who's just realized I'm the only thing holding his universe together… so he's never gonna let me go."

"Seo," said Jack, not meeting Terazina's eyes.  "We should get out of here."

Seo spun around.

"But… but she said…!" Seo began.

"I don't care whose fault it was," said Jack, heading back into the ship.  "But we all know she can never get what she wants until we go back in time and change things.  So let's just… get away from here.  Away from _her_."

He stepped inside the ship.

And closed the door.

Seo looked between her ship, and Terazina.

"Wait a minute," Seo told Terazina.

Then raced back into her ship, after Jack.

"Seosyrae!" Terazina screamed, raising up a fist.  "I hope you choke on your future!  I hope you writhe in utter agony until it rots you inside out!"

Seo hesitated, in the doorway to her ship.  Looking back at Terazina.

"Two minutes," she assured her.

And disappeared inside.


	8. Chapter 8

 

"Coordinates found and set," said Jack, adjusting the controls at the central console. "Ariffildos, the Year of Robert, 32. Just have to—"

"No," said Seo.

Jack paused.

Then sighed, shoulders slumping as he leaned over the central console. "Seo…"

"I can't just walk away from something I caused!" Seo insisted. She walked forwards, pointing out the door. "Jack, that's my fault. How can I just run away, when I'm the reason…?!"

"Wouldn't be the first time," said Jack. Meeting her eyes with his, and prompting, "Elizabeth?"

Seo froze, in place.

Breath catching in her throat.

"That was… different," Seo said.

"Yeah, I'll bet," said Jack, turning away from her and staring down at the controls. "Look, it's simple, Seo. If we send Terazina home, half the universe dies."

"Only until we go back in time and fix things!" Seo insisted.

Jack shook his head. "That's the thing about changed timelines," he said. "Once you hit a timeline when everyone's already dead… and that timeline gains stability… sometimes, even when you change events back, those people still  _stay_  dead."

"But that's not Terazina's fault!" Seo insisted. "She's suffered for a thousand years, even though she did nothing wrong!"

"Did nothing…!" Jack spun around. "Did you miss the part where she burned out my brain, burned out countless other people's brains, and then confessed to murdering all those various different Sultans' wives?!"

Seo dragged her foot along the floor of her ship. "She was… bitter."

"Elizabeth was bitter, too," said Jack. "You're not exactly forgiving her for what she did to your mom."

Seo's expression went dark. "Terazina imprisoned herself to  _save the universe_."

"And now she's willing to threaten everyone and everything to destroy it!" Jack said. He stuck his thumbs under his suspender straps. "I know it's a hard break. But… I'm thinking of the universe, here."

Seo didn't look up at him.

Her voice very low, as she said, "You  _would_  sacrifice someone else to save the universe. Terazina. Your own grandson…"

The words hit Jack like a punch in the face.

He turned on her.

"Says the person who  _still_  doesn't have the guts to return to Earth," Jack retorted, "to stop the villain she unleashed, there. Seo."

"Terazina is innocent!" Seo shouted.

"She wants to destroy the universe!" Jack shouted back.

Seo threw her arms up into the air. "Oh, and that's  _such_  a big deal!" she snapped back. "Seriously — who  _hasn't_  tried to destroy the universe at least once?! Big whoop!"

Frustrated, Jack slammed his fist down on the central console. "You know, I'm starting to see why those Magic Monks felt they had to take away your free will, to make you destroy Glory," he said. Pointed at her. "Cause, if you'd been old enough, you'd have torn apart the universe for Glory without even being asked!"

Before Jack knew what was happening, Seo was on him, slamming him against the side of the ship with a BANG that reverberated through every bone.

Hand around his throat.

"Don't you  _dare_  talk to me about Glory," Seo said.

"Yeah?" said Jack. "Because Glory's the only reason you're feeling any sympathy towards…!"

He was cut off, as Seo tightened her grip around his throat.

Staring into his eyes… he could see the hell goddess inside her. Seeping through her very being.

"You know what it's like," Seo hissed, "to see a universe crack and shatter and die around you?" Her hand squeezed tighter around his throat. "Because I was there. I  _remember_  it. Everyone died, and it was  _my_  fault." She loosened the grip on his throat, so he could breathe again. Instead standing on her tip-toes, to get right in his face. "So don't you  _dare_  tell me what I would or wouldn't do with Glory and the universe. You have  _no idea_."

Then, faster than he could blink, Seo dropped him on the floor.

And left her ship.

* * *

Seo stood, just outside of Oliver. Staring down at the ground, trying to calm herself down after her argument with Jack.

"Come to rub it in?"

Seo looked up.

Terazina. Of course. She should have remembered Terazina was still out there.

Way to find a great place to cool down.

"Not content with just leaving me," said Terazina, "you've gotta come out here and gloat. I bet you'll give me some great big lecture, too, about how I'm getting what I deserve because killing innocent people is wrong." She seethed. "You stuck-up hypocrite. You're worse than your mother!"

Seo froze.

Thinking back to the planet she'd abandoned.

And the mother she'd lost.

"Mom," Seo muttered.

"I mean, look at me, now!" said Terazina. "You made me barely able to move! What if the humans decide to just brick me up in here, forever? Or are you cruel enough that you  _want_  me to spend eternity going insane, locked away from…?!"

"Do you have a mom, back home?" Seo cut in.

Terazina faltered. "What?"

"A mom?" Seo prompted. "A family? Something like that?"

"I… well, it's not exactly a 'mom' like you'd think of…" Terazina seemed a little flustered. "Those kinds of things are… just… different in my dimension. With nobody ever dying and nobody—"

"Is that a yes?" Seo asked.

A second, as Terazina looked Seo up and down.

Trying to figure out what kind of game she was playing, now.

"It's… yes, I guess you could call it that, even though…" Terazina started.

Seo grabbed her key, and locked Oliver's doors.

Trapping Jack inside.

Then spun around, and grabbed Terazina by the arm. "I'm sending you home. Right now. And to hell with the consequences."

Terazina stumbled after her.

Scarcely believing her ears.

"You're… what?" Terazina shook her head. "It's a trick!"

Seo stopped in place.

Spun Terazina around, looking straight into her eyes.

"My mom is dead," said Seo. "I killed her. And it just… breaks me apart, sometimes, thinking about it." She sucked in a sharp breath. "Every day, I try to make up for it. I say I'm following in Mom's legacy, that I'm doing what she would have done, but…"

Seo hesitated.

Her voice lowering.

"I'm not," Seo admitted. "Because I left Earth behind and can't get up the nerve to go back." She took Terazina's other hand in hers. "You trapped yourself here to make things better for the people I loved. You stuck around to fix things! But I didn't. I… just… ran away."

"And that's why you're condemning me to stay here forever?!" Terazina shouted. "Because  _you_  don't have the guts to go home?!"

Seo met Terazina's eyes with her own.

"No," she said. Focusing all her energy, so it could pour into that crack in reality, and open it just enough for Terazina to escape. "I'm sending you home because you have a mom waiting for you. And I won't let you be separated from her another minute."

A bright light surrounded Terazina.

Who looked around herself, suspiciously. Trying to find some way this was a trick or a trap.

Banging came from Oliver's door, Jack's voice shouting for Seo to — for the love of god — stop what she was doing!

And the landscape began to flicker, around them. Turning from a palace into sand and rubble and ruin.

"You're… you're actually sending me back!" Terazina realized. Her face full of utter shock and amazement — then an exuberant happiness, as she began to disappear. "I don't believe it! You're actually…!"

Then, fear spread through her features.

Panic.

"Seo, don't go to Ariffildos!" Terazina shouted, as she faded out of reality. "Whatever you do, don't…!"

Then she was gone.

And so was the palace, the city, and… half the universe.

Turned into sand and dust and nothing in a matter of seconds.

Jack burst out of Oliver as he managed to finally unlock the doors, stumbling in the sand, as a sandstorm picked up, just in front of them.

"Seo!" he shouted, over the sounds of the storm. "What have you done?"

Seo looked back at him, with a long, sad stare.

"A single act of kindness," she told him, "that destroyed the universe." She trudged forwards, over to Jack. "Come on. Let's go back to the past."

Jack followed her into her ship.

"You better hope we get this Ariffildos thing sorted out," Jack was telling her, as she began working to set her ship into motion. "Or you'll be guilty of the biggest act of genocide this universe has ever seen!"

Seo didn't answer.

Just staring straight ahead, at all the dials and levers, her mind fixed on that sentence. Terazina, who'd been willing to kill all those innocent people — she'd  _saved_ the universe.

While Seo — who protested at death and destruction and violence — had nearly destroyed it.

Twice.

Seo pulled down the dematerialization lever. "Don't even have the guts to face the monster I unleashed, back home," Seo muttered, under the roar of the engines. "Maybe this universe would be better off without me."

"What did you say?" Jack shouted, struggling to hear over the engines.

Seo didn't answer.


End file.
